CT Inspector General issues opinion on trooper who used chokehold on suspect in domestic incident
The Connecticut Office of Inspector General has cleared an off-duty state police trooper of any wrongdoing after he used a chokehold on a suspect in Wallingford last May to get him to release a similar hold he had on a fellow trooper.
Inspector General Robert Devlin Jr. released a report on the use of deadly force on Wednesday, finding that Trooper Joshua Wedge was justified when he applied a chokehold prohibited under state law to 35-year-old Ira Turner following a car chase and foot pursuit after Turner was involved in a domestic incident in a moving vehicle on Interstate 91 North on May 13, 2023.
“The investigation establishes that Trooper Joshua Wedge used deadly force against Ira Turner to free Trooper Brandon Poirier from Turner’s use of a chokehold against him,” Devlin wrote. “I conclude that Trooper Wedge’s use of force was justified under Connecticut law.”
According to Devlin’s report, the mother of Turner’s two children told state police Turner picked her and the kids up from her home just after 5 p.m. on May 13, 2023, to attend a birthday party in Orange. He was reportedly driving his mother’s Mitsubishi Outlander.
On the way to the party on Interstate 95, Devlin wrote, Turner and the woman got into an argument centered around her having a boyfriend, at which point he allegedly began driving erratically and missed the exit for the party. He then continued on to I-91.
According to the woman, Turner at one point was driving the wrong way on the highway and she asked him to pull over, fearing for her safety and the children’s lives, but he refused, the report said. The woman said she called Turner’s mother to help calm him down, but he continued driving erratically, so she contacted police.
Wedge was off duty when he heard Poirier get dispatched to the area of Exit 12 on I-91 around 5:45 p.m. on the report of a “rolling domestic,” according to Devlin. Wedge pulled on to I-91, spotted Poirier behind a red SUV and got in front of the vehicle to try to box the driver in.
Turner passed Wedge and continued north before the troopers attempted a second box-in, at which point Turner allegedly collided with Poitier’s cruiser, according to the report.
Turner later slowed down abruptly and went the wrong way on the Exit 15 on-ramp before stopping the vehicle, which gave state police an opportunity to box him in, Devlin wrote. He then got out of the vehicle through the passenger side and began running up the Exit 15 ramp.
Wedge and Poirier chased after Turner before Poirier caught up to him and tried to bring him down to the ground, according to Devlin. Turner then allegedly punched Poirier in the face, the report said.
During a struggle near a metal beam guardrail, Turner put Poirier in a chokehold, wrapping his arm around his neck on three separate occasions, according to Devlin.
Wedge was in plain clothes and only had his firearm on him. He did not have a Taser or pepper spray, the report said.
According to Devlin’s report, Wedge used a chokehold to protect Poirier, which left Turner unconscious for a brief period. He regained consciousness as he was brought to the ground, at which point he allegedly continued fighting with the troopers until they were able to handcuff him, Devlin wrote.
Turner later allegedly told state police he did not stop because he knew that he had “messed up” and was “already in trouble,” according to Devlin’s report. State police found that he had been issued a protective order barring any contact with the mother of his children.
Turner complained of chest pain and was taken to Midstate Medical Center in Meriden. Once he was released, he was arrested on charges of second-degree kidnapping, violation of a protective order and other charges, Devlin wrote.
Court records reviewed Wednesday indicate Turner pleaded guilty in December to one count of interfering with police and three counts of reckless endangerment. He was sentenced to two years of probation, records show.
Devlin began investigating the use of deadly force after a trooper in August submitted the incident to his office for review. As part of the investigation, authorities reviewed body camera footage from Poirier and interviewed both troopers, the victim of the domestic incident and Turner.
Devlin noted in his report that Wedge’s actions were justified under the state’s general law on self-defense but not under the law specifically dealing with police. The way the law is written it permits the use of a chokehold to defend oneself but not a third party, according to Devlin.
“One wonders if this omission was intentional,” Devlin wrote. “As written, the statute would permit a trooper to shoot a suspect to defend a third party, but not permit the trooper to apply a chokehold. It is hard to imagine that the legislature intended such a result.”
“Given this confusion in the law,” Devlin continued “I do not believe (the law) should be construed in such a way as to deem Trooper Wedge’s actions unjustified.”
Devlin also said in his report that he believes “clarification of the statute” would seem “warranted.”
“The Office of Inspector General intends to recommend that the General Assembly consider amending General Statues §53a-22(d) to expressly indicate whether a police officer may use a chokehold to defend a third party from the use or imminent use of deadly force,” Devlin wrote. “The OIG intends to further recommend that the statute be amended to permit the defense of a third party.”